SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (UCFKnights.com) – For the next week, 17 UCF student-athletes and staff members will work with Community Collaborations International in Puerto Rico. The Knights' service-learning trip will focus on three revitalization projects: community revitalization, Boys & Girls Club and environmental rehabilitation.
This is the 10th Knights Without Borders trip, which has also seen the Black and Gold visit Costa Rica, Panama, Ireland and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and work domestically in Orlando and New Orleans.
The following is a blog documenting their experiences throughout the week.
May 12, 2018
Brittany Solis (Softball)
Today we went to Old San Juan and looked at all the shops and ate delicious food. I still can't believe this week is already over. This may have been my third Knights Without Borders trip, but it still impacted me just as much as the first one I took. The people I got to work with, the relationships I made that will last a lifetime, and the impact that Puerto Rico had on me, are things I will always remember. From picking up trash on the beach, to tilling land for future crop growth, to learning about the true effects of Hurricane Maria, this trip was a learning experience that I'm so thankful I was able to be a part of.
Knights Without Borders isn't just an opportunity for student-athletes to help. It's a trip that helps you grow as a person off the court, the field, or whatever your field of play may be. All of our time as athletes will end at some point, but I'm thankful for the opportunities like this that UCF has, that give us a chance to build our identity away from sports. Knights Without Borders changed my life and helped me realize how important some things are, and how sport can transcend barriers, both language and cultural. It was an absolute pleasure to be apart of an amazing opportunity like this and as a proud alumni, I encourage every student-athlete to experience this at least once. Go Knights!
May 11, 2018
Christina Trickett (Women's Soccer)
Today was an adventurous day full of fun on the Catamaran and snorkeling. Everyone was carefree and relaxed. You could see it on the smiling faces as they looked out onto the Caribbean as we made our way to the island. Once at the island, we were able to snorkel and see the beautiful fish swimming beneath us. They were colorful and made the day bright and full of even more life than the boat ride contained. Even the workers were excited and passionate about what they do, entertaining the guests on the Catamaran and showing everyone the wildlife of Puerto Rico. It was amazing to see and a blessing because it made me light a fire inside of me. I am excited to take the passion that I got here back to Florida and my life.
Aside from the relaxing day full of joy and fun, it was also nice to relax on the Catamaran and reflect on the week. This week has been a blessing. I was put on this trip one week before we left. I only knew the girls from my soccer team so I was kind of out of my element. This trip for me has been about so many different things. It has been awesome to get to know and grow close to everyone in this group. The people are amazing and I am blessed to have gotten to know everyone. I can't wait to continue our friendships back home. They truly seem like they will last a lifetime.
Another thing that was cool and inspiring was seeing the passion of the locals and how I could help them and my little bit that I could help can over time make a huge impact. We worked hard and I feel like I made an impact to the island which will help the people. I also enjoyed the Boys and Girls Club because I hope that playing with them will change their life. Even though there was a language barrier, once we started playing sports it didn't matter and everyone was happy and having a great time.
Lastly, I found myself growing closer to God on this trip and the people in the group and the locals impacted me and made a difference in my life. Everyone made me look at life through different perspectives and I truly appreciate that. This trip has made me keep my resilience and use every small victory in my life to build onto the long term goal. I can't lose my way, but have to continue to strive toward my passions and goals. The people of Puerto Rico have been struck by the hurricane and have been in devastated states, yet they keep eyes on their goal and stay hopeful. I need to continue to implement that in my life.
Also, just to enjoy the simplest things in life and to live every moment to the fullest. It sounds cliché, but we (especially me) get caught up in our everyday lives and forget to enjoy everything, even the lows in life and not just the highs. Overall, this trip has been amazing and every moment has been meaningful and intentional. I thank God for bringing all of these people into my life and letting me enjoy Puerto Rico.
Diego Bacellar (Men's Soccer)
Friday in Puerto Rico has been a day of relaxing and reflection. It has been an amazing week that has gone beyond all my expectations. For a group of 17 individuals we have meshed and bonded more than ever.
Today we got up about 7 am and had breakfast just like any other day but it was different because for the first time on this trip, we wouldn't be working but having a tourist day. We got the chance to have a boat trip to an island in Puerto Rico and also snorkel between the coral reefs. This for me was an amazing time because I usually scuba dive with my uncle in Miami and it is always fun to jump in the water and see the beauty it has. During the beach trip we got a chance to feed the fish and also relax because of the amazing but still long week. We had an amazing time snorkeling and also just laughed at the funny times on the boat.
This week has been amazing. We have had the chance to see how the non-profit is helping Puerto Rico to bounce back. From picking yucca in a small farm to collecting trash in the shores of the beach, every moment of this trip has been special. But with all that good doing, the most important thing I got out of this trip was the relationships that I have made with each individual. The staff have been phenomenal and also each hand selected student-athlete in this group.
May 10, 2018
Jessica Taylor (Women's Soccer)
"We went about an hour away to a town that had first gotten hit by the hurricane and helped them with them with some agricultural stuff. Even though it was pretty strenuous work, we all grinded through it and were just happy to help them. After working, we went on a hike learning about the nature around us. The view was to die for at the ocean. At night, we went to kayak the bioluminescent bay and I can't even explain how amazing it was. Very memorable to say the least.
Challenge of the day: What work would you like to do back in Orlando? I think being a part of an organization like the Boys and Girls Club here in Puerto Rico because I love to see the impact you can make on a kid's life. A lot of the kids that are a part of the Boys and Girls Club are families that are considered in poverty so the Boys and Girls Club is an escape from all real world stuff. Sports can connect people in a way that is very rare and so I hope to connect with the kids through sport because it can change a little one's life. Also, I already work at an animal shelter but hopefully will be able to branch out a little and work/intern/volunteer at SeaWorld. I talked to Lizzy about it and she's willing to help me out. Ever since I've been in Puerto Rico, I've seen many stray dogs and wild horses, even pelicans, and I just realized that I'm so fascinated with animals and want to help them in any way I can. Animals have always been my passion and talking to Christal about our similar interest in them made me so happy. So that as well solidified that it's what I want to do in my life. Whether it be veterinarian, animal abuse protection, physical therapy, etc., all I know is that I want to make a difference in my world in my own way on my own journey."
May 9, 2018
Tristan Reaves (Football)
"Being at the Boys and Girls Club was awesome. Their facility is so nice! I had the opportunity to talk with and play with some of the kids which was great. I was able to learn a lot about what they had going on, as well as how unifying sports are. I'm not a great Spanish speaker so there was a language barrier, but I was able to see how love and sport transcends it all.
I can't really relate to the kids on the aspect of people like us visiting to play with but I have had opportunities to have NFL Players come to talk to me and mentor me at various sport camps. That was very special to me and helped me not quite despite the circumstances."
May 8, 2018
Maura Aman (Women's Soccer)
Morning
"Today started out better than the rest. Three-quarters of our group woke up before 6:30 to talk about faithfulness and the reality of God in our lives. This bible study allowed us to talk about what we are doing here. Are we serving the people of Puerto Rico directly, is any of this work going to help the community? We have all thought about whether what we are doing is impactful, but what we have decided is that as long as we follow through with what we've come here to do, we will be impacting the people around us. I hope that today is a great day full of love and hearts eager to serve each other. Let's see how many trees we can plant and how much joy we can bring collectively. Chat later."
Night
"What a day. Today, shortly after breakfast, we set out to clean up the beaches on the nature reserve. Getting to the actual location was amazing. We hiked a quarter mile of beach and climbed around a cliff scaling rocks and doing all the things I love to do when I go back to Virginia. I'm so thankful for adventures like this because it gives me a chance to break out of the flat landscape of Orlando.
After we reached the end of the beach we had been assigned to, we worked our way back, cleaning up the shoreline and fetching trash that was lodged in the trees and bushes just beyond the shore. Before we knew it, we had 17 bags (one for each person) and a junked boat door that was probably dislodged during the hurricane. THEN we had to carry each bag back to base camp over all the rocks and cliff, which resulted in a few broken spilled bags and some bruises. However, all together we had quite the day of beach restoration and it has made me rethink where I throw my trash.
Today I learned that not only am I here to help the ecosystem and people of Puerto Rico, but I am also here to grow in faith with all of these incredible people. I have never met a more down to earth group of people with such a heart for people. I can't wait for tomorrow."
May 7, 2018
Hannah-Claire Candlish (Cheerleading)
"There's a saying that goes like this: 'Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.' I feel like our job here, moreso than physical hurricane relief, is emotional. Yes, we're doing what we can to help clean up parts of the community and that is helpful and essential to getting Puerto Rico back on its feet again, but the community needs emotional revival as well.
I feel like our job is also to be a positive and encouraging voice in the lives of these locals that we get to encounter. With that being said, we can be positive and encourage them while we're here, but when we leave so do our voices, so what would it look like if we influenced the mindset and heartset of the community members? What would it look like if we brought an intentional new perspective? I feel like the effects would ripple and be long-lasting even after our team heads back home.
How to change a heartset:
1. Be positive
2. Be encouraging
3. Speak life
4. Be consistent
5. Be bold
We are making a physical impact and it's very important that we do so. I just feel like the mark we leave can be so much bigger than the physical aspect. Let's leave an energy and new encouraging way to look at this process with the community. Let's leave an encouraging vibe!"
May 6, 2018
Dina Samaan (Rowing)
"Wow! Going to bed with a big smile on my face. First day was amazing. I already love this group of people and the staff.
Puerto Rico is a beautiful country and I love that we are staying in its natural beauty. However, after talking with Heicie and hearing everything she had to say about Hurricane Maria and how badly it affected this place got me really excited to go and start serving and talking with the locals and hearing their experiences and their stories.
During our debrief at the end of the night, we talked a lot about our goals for this trip and I really just want to be present. I want to leave the stress of my injury and school and social media and just everything behind for this week and really connect with my team and the people of Puerto Rico. I want to be uncomfortable and grow physically, mentally and spiritually.
Exploring the beach today was a blast. We got to see different sea animals and touch them and that was very exciting. We also ate some bomb mac and cheese and fried chicken. Ended the night with some mafia fun (and I won the last round which was exciting). Can't wait for the rest of this week!"
Jen Vera (Women's Soccer)
"Woke up really early this morning to meet with everyone at 7 a.m. on campus. Was excited about the trip and seeing where we were going to stay. It was amazing driving up the road all the way up leading to an amazing lighthouse on the top of the hill. It's gorgeous! The scenery is breathtaking. All three sides surrounded by the Caribbean Sea.
We met our host Heicie, who was very welcoming and generous. She told us about the devastation that the hurricane has left here. Many people were homeless for months, some families still don't have homes, others have no jobs, and certain parts of the island don't have electricity. It was difficult to see that houses didn't have roofs but instead blue tarps to provide them shelter. It's hard to imagine that a country that is so close and is a U.S. territory is and has gone through so much.
Being here and helping out is great because they are our neighbors; our people. The wonderful thing is there is hope! A lot of people have so much hope for this island. I'm looking forward to meeting more people and hearing about their experience during and after the hurricane. Can't wait to spend time with some of the kids here either. There might have been recent tragedy here in Puerto Rico, but everyone is so passionate and loving towards their country that they choose to live happy lives. They continue to strive for the future.
Side note, going to the beach was incredible. Since this is a reserve, there were an abundance of sea life and conches. We walked on the shore, collected some shells, saw sea snails, and even took a dip in the water. It was a great start to what I know is going to be a life changing trip."
May 5, 2018
Jaida Scott (Women's Soccer)
"Today, the group went to a ropes challenge course. We went through a series of activities that helped us get more familiar with each other. It helped us get to know one another through trusting activities that involved a lot of communication.
The first exercise we did was to get to know each other. It was called "Have you ever?" and it involved us all standing on a spot. One person stands in the middle, introduces themselves and says something they've done. If someone else has done it, they have to run to a different spot. We did another activity where we grabbed a piece of string attached to a tiny medal ring. We were in a circle holding the strings and we had to balance a tennis ball on the ring in the middle. The ball was on a stand, so we had to lift the ring up the stand and balance the ball off the stand. After we were able to lift the ball off the stand, we had to keep the ball balanced and walk through the trail which was really challenging.
Another activity we did was "floor is lava" where we were all standing up on a log. After we named our favorite foods, we had to get in ABC order, but couldn't touch the floor. We also did an activity where there's a web-like structure and we had to help each other across without knocking down a branch on top of the structure. This was difficult because we lifted others through the structure. Before this, we did a trust activity where groups of three get together. One member stood in the middle and there were two spotters, one on each side of the member, and the person in the middle would fall back and forth trusting each partner. The last game we played was where we stood in a circle and we were in a huddle and we spun in a circle together and made train noises. When someone says "stop" we would stop and talk about one thing we enjoyed about our time throughout the day.
My favorite part of this challenge course was the log activity where we had to get in order without touching the floor. This made us get really close and interactive and use our trust to lead each other. We really had to use our communication to figure it out. Completing this activity was so satisfying because it took us a while to figure it out.
It was really cool to meet new people and be able to get to know each other before we leave for Puerto Rico. On this trip, I expect us to help the community in any way that we can and make an impact on the people in PR. I want to come back from this trip knowing I gave back, and know that I changed the lives of other people. I know that throughout this trip I may be super uncomfortable and outside my comfort zone, but I am thrilled to do it. I look forward to meeting the people on this trip and experiencing new things. I've never been to PR so I am very excited to experience this with some really cool people!"